FACE IT, HE HASN'T LOST FAN SUPPORT.

Byline: KAREN CROUSE

Hideo Nomo's split-finger forkball forsook him on Saturday and so did some of the fans at Dodger Stadium, and the Dodgers might yet cast him off to Seattle for Randy Johnson. But at least the beleaguered pitcher hasn't lost face.

An informal poll conducted among fans from Nomo's homeland of Japan during the Dodgers' 7-3 loss to the Cincinnati Reds revealed that they don't care where Nomo plays as long as it's in the major leagues.

Never mind that he had just witnessed Nomo's fourth straight defeat, one Japanese tourist in the crowd of 37,643 said the only disgrace would be if Nomo was sent packing all the way back to Japan.

``As long as he can play in the major leagues,'' said Nobuyuki Yokoyama, who is visiting here from Yokohama with his wife, ``we are happy.''

Happy hardly described Nomo's mood after the Reds shredded him for seven hits and six runs in 3-2/3 innings. Addressing reporters afterward, he gave clipped responses that had his translator really digging to stretch his words into a sentence.

But you didn't need to understand a lick of Japanese to read Nomo's body language as he sat staring vacantly at a cluster of Japanese television cameras. At one point he sighed so deeply it seemed like all the air had been let out of his soul. When at length he spoke, his tone was deflated.

``It's something I haven't even thought about,'' Nomo said of the rumors.

Maybe so, but the sooner Seattle weeds out the best offer among what the New York Yankees, San Diego Padres, St. Louis Cardinals and Dodgers are willing to give up for Johnson, the better it will be for Nomo, who has enough to worry about without wondering what he's going to do with his house in Glendale.

If Nomo looks a little lost on the mound these days, there's a reason. In his last five starts, he has allowed 18 earned runs in 26-2/3 innings. No wonder there was a catch in Tom Prince's voice when he insisted Nomo's focus was ``on nothing but getting the Cincinnati Reds out.''

From high above, Nomo sure didn't look like his eyes were boring holes into Prince's catching mitt.

To say he was pitching would be to embellish his control. The way he was throwing, it looked like he had a shot putter's metal ball in his hand and not a baseball. After getting out of the first inning unscathed save for a Chris Stynes single, Nomo consistently fell behind the batters. He couldn't get his forkball over the plate and his fastball was sputtering.

``I don't think I was getting enough oomph on my pitches,'' admitted Nomo, who refused to pin any of the blame for his recent troubles on the right elbow he had surgically cleaned up during the off-season.

The elbow, he said, is fine. Nomo's ego, on the other hand, had to be smarting after he gave up two singles to Reds pitcher Pete Harnisch, who went on to score both times.

It didn't take long for the word to reach the visitors' dugout: Nomo isn't Nomo, pass it on.

``Nomo's a good pitcher. He just got the ball up a little more today,'' said right fielder Jon Nunnally, who doubled in the Reds' first two runs in the third to erase a 1-0 Dodgers lead, once and for all.

As much as Nomo stoically stated it didn't matter, the trade rumors had to weigh on him.

``You can try to block it out,'' Nunnally said, ``but with anybody, it can get in your head if you hear it all the time.''

Nomo's closest friend on the team is fellow pitcher Ismael Valdes. He, too, has heard he could be headed to Seattle so he understands Nomo's control and confidence isn't all that he's fighting.

``I don't want to make a comment on (Nomo's) situation. He has his own problems,'' Valdes said. But speaking for himself, Valdes said, ``I can say it's not easy. (The trade rumors are) a distraction. But it's not impossible.''

When he was removed for Eric Weaver after throwing the last of his 77 pitches, Nomo walked to the dugout amid a sprinkling of boos. Among those not joining the chorus were Nobuyuki and Junko Yokoyama. They were delighted to be able to see Nomo in action, even if there wasn't a whole lot to cheer.

``To hear he might be traded,'' said Nobuyuki Yokoyama, ``my first impression is Randy Johnson is one of the best pitchers in the U.S. so if Nomo is traded for him, that is good.''

It could be bad for the Dodgers' gate, given that Nomo's appearance on Saturday attracted a couple of busloads of his fans and fellow expatriates. Will the same fans come back to see Johnson, if the trade is made?

Nomo or no, Taro Matsumoto, a student who moved here from Japan a year ago, said he will continue to patronize the Dodgers. ``I'm a Dodgers fan,'' he explained. ``But some of my friends have said, if Nomo goes to Seattle, they won't come here.''

Not to worry. The way Nomo's stock is falling, it's almost like he has a yen to stay.